Mirjam Guesgen, VetScript Editor

www.nzva.org.nz

VetScript

NOVEMBER 2020 • VOL 33 • NO 10 ISSN 1170-280X

COVER IMAGE Working dogs (IMAGE: SUPPLIED)

VetScript is published monthly (except January) by the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) as a service to its members.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Bette Flagler M: 021 956 122 E: bette.flagler@vets.org.nz

EDITOR Mirjam Guesgen M: 022 099 7734 E: vetscript@vets.org.nz

ADVERTISING MANAGER Tony Leggett T: 06 280 3162 M: 027 4746 093 E: tony.leggett@nzfarmlife.co.nz

CLASSIFIEDS ADMINISTRATOR E: classifieds@vets.org.nz

ART DIRECTOR Amanda Trayes

NZVA OFFICE Level 2, 44 Victoria Street Wellington Central PO Box 11212, Manners Street Wellington 6142, New Zealand T: 04 471 0484 F: 04 471 0494 E: nzva@vets.org.nz www.nzva.org.nz

NZVA BOARD Independent Chair: Flora Gilkison President: Grant McCullough Members: Peter Blaikie, Mark Bryan, Kate Hill, Cath Watson

DISCLAIMER VetScript is published by the New Zealand Veterinary Association Incorporated (NZVA). The views expressed in the articles and letters do not necessarily represent those of the NZVA or the editor and neither the NZVA nor the editor endorses any products or services advertised. The NZVA is not the source of the information reproduced in this publication and has not independently verified the truth of the information. It does not accept legal responsibility for the truth or accuracy of the information contained herein. Neither the NZVA nor the editor accepts any liability whatsoever for the contents of this publication or for any consequences that may result from the use of any information contained herein or advice given herein. This provision is intended to exclude the NZVA, the editor and its staff from all liability whatsoever, including liability for negligence in the publication or reproduction of the material set out herein. The entire content of VetScript is copyrighted by the NZVA. VetScript is produced for NZVA members and approved subscribers only. No material from this publication may be reproduced in any form, or quoted from either directly or indirectly in other media, without the permission of the editor.

Paws for thought

VetScript Editor Mirjam Guesgen is on a frustrating – and occasionally sad – search for a family dog. It seems change is needed.

MY LONG-STANDING DESIRE to make a dog a member of my family has been slowly turning into a reality since I decided to settle in New Zealand for the foreseeable future. So I browse.

A visit to the ‘Dogs to adopt’ section of Trade Me is heartbreaking. Some of the ads are for dogs whose owners “can’t take care of them anymore” and are looking for “new fur-ever homes” for their companions. Some cite health issues for elderly carers. In others it’s clear the owners simply got more than they bargained for.

The overwhelming majority of dogs for adoption are from shelters and dog adoption agencies, and it’s unclear where they originally came from. Sometimes I’ll see a string of puppies listed – an unplanned and unwanted litter. I wonder how many of these litters don’t make it to Trade Me’s pages.

It’s a different story in the ‘Dogs for sale’ section. New listings go up almost daily for puppies priced in the thousands. I can go back a few days later and scroll through several pages of new ads. Many of the listings, only a few days old, say ‘SORRY, ALL PUPPIES SOLD’. The listing photographs differ widely. I’ve seen puppies wearing coloured bows around their necks, gracefully posed in wicker baskets or presented in blurry images of seven or eight, huddled together in a wire cage.

The supply seems unending and I question whether these sales are attempts to meet demand or something more financially minded.

I take the decision to bring a dog into our family really seriously but it’s not an easy task. Despite a PhD in animal welfare science, being a journalist who’s reported on breed health issues and someone who’s surrounded by expertise through editing this magazine, I struggle. Asking any questions of some breeders gets my email dumped into the ‘too hard’ basket. Conversely, when contacting some registered breeders, I’m met with an email containing a long list of requirements, such as making my dog available to breed at any time. What does that mean for the average pet owner, who doesn’t have the same resources?

A theme that’s come through in many VetScript stories is the role of the veterinarian as an animal welfare expert and source of guidance. Being that guide is feasible once someone comes on board as a client. The challenge is meeting future pet parents and building a relationship with them before they become an owner. Perhaps this could be done through workshops, advertising campaigns, or an online tool that helps people select the right pup or pet for them while also making them aware of the responsibilities. A great start is the NZVA’s webpage www.nzva.org.nz/public/pets.

I hope that better-informed future owners would translate to better breeding practices, if that means demand for puppies bred in poor conditions decreases.

I see veterinarians and other animal welfare advocates trying to spread messages of responsibility. I just hope the right people are listening.

Mirjam Guesgen, Editor, VetScript

Letter

A RAW ISSUE

On behalf of the NZVA’s Complementary Veterinary Medicine (CVM) branch, thanks for your great work producing VetScript; we know that it’s not an easy job.

The CVM branch wanted to provide some additional information regarding the Editor’s statement about raw food in September’s editorial. We support healthy nutrition as part of veterinary care to facilitate the health and wellbeing of patients. We consider a well-balanced raw food diet, where risks are mitigated, to have value as a therapeutic tool. We advocate that feeding raw food is not a pot of meat from the supermarket but an intelligent, well-researched process with many benefits when done correctly. Unfortunately there are people who do a poor job of feeding their pets but a pathology like rickets would be more attributable to a poorly-balanced diet than a raw food one.

It is important to know that there are many veterinarians globally who use wellbalanced raw food diets to improve the health and wellbeing of their patients. This is not a fad; it is evidence-based. Please see the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society’s position statement at https://rfvs.

info/rfvs-position-statement-2020,

including the list of references.

As you’ve stated “client discussions on nutrition need to be open and non-judgemental”; it’s imperative that we encourage this attitude within our veterinary community to maintain our credibility. We are fortunate to have a growing number of open minded veterinarians in New Zealand who are well versed in this type of approach. But it isn’t yet widespread.

We would welcome the opportunity to contribute to VetScript and educate other veterinarians about the benefits of feeding a well-balanced raw food diet. Those benefits are not just for our patients but also for improving client relationships and veterinarian job satisfaction as well as the positive impacts on our environment.

Liza Schneider, CVM branch President

Editor’s response: Thanks Liza for your letter. I appreciate you providing that resource for readers. As you point out, VetScript should be a place for sharing well-thought-out, evidence-based thinking. I hope we can all (myself included!) learn something from the articles that are published every month.

“They’ve been insuring New

Zealand families like mine for nearly 100 years.”

MAS is 100% New Zealand owned and we’ve been serving our Members, like Katherine, for nearly 100 years now. Not only have we established a foundation to fund health initiatives, we have been awarded Consumer NZ People’s Choice across four categories* for three years running.

Keep good company with MAS mas.co.nz 0800 800 627